Camera attachment device for sports bow

ABSTRACT

A camera attachment device for sports bow with a main support bracket, a secondary support bracket, a bow to bracket attachment arm, and a thumb screw. The main bracket has forward facing cradle arms to hold the bottom of a camera and rearwardly facing cradle arms to slidably hold the secondary bracket. The secondary bracket has an inverted L shape. The top leg of the L shape includes a downwardly facing tab that can retain the top of a camera. The threaded post of the thumb screw engages a threaded aperture in the main support bracket panel. The bow to bracket extension arm fits between the thumb screw and the second support bracket. When the thumb screw is tightened it can retain a hand held cell phone or video camera. The other end of the attachment arm is held between the stabilizer post and frame of a standard sports bow.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of sports bow accessoriesand more specifically to a camera attachment device for sports bow.

The rapid advancement of features found in cell phones and small handheld video cameras make it possible to use these devices in many new andunusual ways. Many current cell phones include that ability to takevideo recordings. One unique application for these new video devices isto fasten them to sports equipment such as a sport bow, so that the usercan record the event of an arrow being released from the bow and hittingits intended target.Several designs have been thought of to hold cameras to sports bows.U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,725 shows a method of attaching a still camera tothe central portion of a bow and includes a method of automaticallyactivating the camera shutter when the arrow is released. U.S. Pat. No.7,604,420 shows a way to attach a video camera to a sports bow by meansof a standard threaded screw mounted on the bow to a threaded aperturefound on the bottom of the camera.However, none of the designs shown in the prior art provides the abilityfor a user to attach a standard cell phone or hand held video camera,not having a threaded aperture, to a sport bow. Furthermore, none of theprior art designs provides a camera mount device that can be easilyadjusted to fit a variety of sizes and thickness of hand held videocameras.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the invention is to provide a camera mount for asport bow that lets the user take video footage of an arrow leaving thebow and hitting a target.

Another object of the invention is to provide a camera mount for a sportbow whose retaining clamp can be adjusted to fit various sizes of cellphones and video camera devices.

Another object of the invention is to provide a camera mount for a sportbow that includes compressible adaptor panels that accommodate thevarying thickness between cameras.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, anembodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there isdisclosed camera attachment device for sports bow comprising: a mainsupport bracket, a secondary support bracket, a bow to bracketattachment arm, and a thumb screw, said main support bracket including aflat vertically disposed panel having forwardly disposed cradle armsfixedly attached to the lower portion of said panel and rearwardlydisposed inwardly facing cradle arms on each vertical side of saidpanel. said secondary bracket being an inverted L shape with thehorizontally disposed top leg of said L shape having a downwardly facingtab, the vertically disposed leg of said L shape sized to be slidablyretained within said rerwardly facing cradle arms of said main bracket,said secondary bracket including a centrally disposed slot that canallow penetration of a threaded post of said thumb screw. said threadedpost of said thumb screw capable of being received by a matchingthreaded aperture centrally located on said main support bracket panel,said bow to bracket extension arm having a first aperture located nearone end and a second aperture located near the opposite end. said bow tobracket extension arm fitting between said thumb screw and said secondsupport bracket so that said thumb screw can penetrate said firstaperture, said bow to bracket extension arm capable of removablyattaching, via said second aperture, to the stabilizer screw portion ofa standard sports bow so that said extension arm is captured betweensaid stabilizer and said bow frame, said secondary bracket capable ofbeing slidably adjusted by a user to fit a standard hand held videocamera snuggly between said lower cradle arms of said main supportbracket and said upper horizontal leg of said secondary support bracket,said secondary bracket fixed in place when said user tightens said thumbscrew.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and includeexemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in variousforms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects ofthe invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate anunderstanding of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention attached to a standardsports bow.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the invention as it holds a standard cellphone.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the invention holding a thick hand held videocamera.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the invention holding a thin hand held videocamera and using a resilient pad to accommodate the difference betweenthick and thin video camera devices.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein.It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may beembodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed hereinare not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for theclaims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the artto employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailedsystem, structure or manner.

Referring now to FIG. 1 we see a perspective view of a portion of astandard bow 2 where a bow to camera mount support arm 6 has beeninserted between the stabilizer post 4 and the front of the bow by meansof a threaded post extending from the stabilizer post and penetrating anaperture 16, shown in FIG. 3, of the support arm and entering a threadedaperture located on the front of the standard sports bow 2. The supportarm 6 is thereby trapped and fixed between the stabilizer post 4 and thefront of the bow 2. A main support bracket 10 and a secondary supportbracket 8 retain a standard cell phone 12 which has video capability orother standard digital hand held video cameras 12. The lens 52 of thecell phone camera 12 can be clearly seen. Thumb screw 14 can betightened by the user to lock together the secondary bracket 8 with themain bracket 10 as well as trapping the opposite end of the bow tocamera support arm 6 thereby allowing a person to take a video of anarrow leaving the sports bow and hitting its intended target.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the invention clearly showing how the lowercradle arms of the main support bracket 10 hold the bottom portion ofthe cell phone or camera and the downwardly facing tab of the secondarysupport bracket 8 holds the top portion of the cell phone or videocamera. Bow to camera mount support arm 6 can be positioned at anydesired angle by means of adjusting the arm as it can rotate aboutconnection aperture 16 which helps to attach the support arm 6 to thebow 2 as described in FIG. 1. Additional apertures 54, 56 in arm 6 allowthe user to accommodate the variation in location of the stabilizer post4 so that the camera 12 remains in the ideal location with relation tothe sight pins of the bow 2.

FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of the invention. Secondary supportbracket has an inverted L shape with a vertical panel 38, a horizontalpanel 40 and a downwardly facing tab 42. Vertical panel 38 includes aslot that allows the secondary bracket to be slid up or down when it isinserted into the rearwardly facing cradle arms 20, 22 of main bracket10 even though screw post 34 of thumb screw 14 is penetrating throughvertical panel 38 and into aperture 48 of main vertical panel 46. Mainbracket 10 includes a pair of lower cradle arms 24, 26 that each haveupwardly facing tabs 28, 30 to grip the lower portion of a standard cellphone or digital video camera. The sliding feature of secondary supportbracket 8 allows the invention to snuggly retain a variety of sizes ofcell phones or video cameras. Bow to camera mount support arm 6 issandwiched between the outside surface of secondary bracket panel 38 andthe inside surface 36 of thumb screw 14.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the invention as it is holding a cell phone12 having a thick cross section. FIG. 5 shows a similar side view of theinvention holding a thin cell phone 112. In this embodiment, a resilientpad 44 is placed behind the phone 112 by the user to take up the unusedspace between the back of the phone 112 and the front surface of mainbracket 10. In this way, the present invention can securely hold avariety of sizes and shapes of cell phones and hand held video cameras.The invention is easy to install and operate and is inexpensive tomanufacture.

While the invention has been described in connection with a preferredembodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention tothe particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended tocover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may beincluded within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

1. camera attachment device for sports bow comprising: a main supportbracket; a secondary support bracket; a bow to bracket attachment arm;and a thumb screw; said main support bracket including a flat verticallydisposed panel having forwardly disposed cradle arms fixedly attached tothe lower portion of said panel and rearwardly disposed inwardly facingcradle arms on each vertical side of said panel. said secondary bracketbeing an inverted L shape with the horizontally disposed top leg of saidL shape having a downwardly facing tab; the vertically disposed leg ofsaid L shape sized to be slidably retained within said rerwardly facingcradle arms of said main bracket; said secondary bracket including acentrally disposed slot that can allow penetration of a threaded post ofsaid thumb screw. said threaded post of said thumb screw capable ofbeing received by a matching threaded aperture centrally located on saidmain support bracket panel; said bow to bracket extension arm having afirst aperture located near one end and a second aperture located nearthe opposite end. said bow to bracket extension arm fitting between saidthumb screw and said second support bracket so that said thumb screw canpenetrate said first aperture; said bow to bracket extension arm capableof removably attaching, via said second aperture, to the stabilizerscrew portion of a standard sports bow so that said extension arm iscaptured between said stabilizer and said bow frame; said secondarybracket capable of being slidably adjusted by a user to fit a standardhand held video camera snuggly between said lower cradle arms of saidmain support bracket and said upper horizontal leg of said secondarysupport bracket; said secondary bracket fixed in place when said usertightens said thumb screw.
 2. A camera attachment device for sports bowas claimed in claim 1 further comprising one or more resilient pads;said pads capable of being placed behind a standard cell phone or handheld video camera device to act as a filler to accommodate variations inthickness between said standard cell phones or said video camera deviceswhen being used in conjunction with said camera attachment device.
 3. Acamera attachment device for sports bow as claimed in claim 1 whereinsaid bow to bracket attachment arm includes additional apertures formounting said invention to said bow thereby accommodating the variationin mounting location of said stabilizer screw portion of different bowdesigns.